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The unveiling of Newcastle Falcons’ Rugby World Cup star Kensuke Hatakeyama brought with it a media buzz not seen since the days of Jonny Wilkinson, as Japanese journalists descended on Kingston Park in their droves.

The amiable tight-head was all smiles as he cracked jokes and talked at length with with the assembled mass of TV stations and newspapers, even if Falcons’ director of rugby Dean Richards and the handful of local Press outlets were left scratching their leads a little as to what was being said.

Newcastle’s Tongan World Cup captain Nili Latu offered a degree of intermediary translation as a legacy of his eight years playing in Japan, a nation whose rugby stock is undisputably on the rise.

Defeating South Africa, Samoa and USA during last year’s international showpiece, Hatakeyama – or ‘Hatake’ as he is known – has been a cornerstone of the Brave Blossoms’ climb to ninth in the world rankings.

Capped 72 times at international level and with a packed trophy cabinet from domestic success with Suntory Sungoliath, his commendably enthusiastic few sentences of English revealed he finds Newcastle to be cold and windy, but that he hopes to become used to the climate in a city he has already taken to his heart.

Kensuke Hatakeyama with Director of Rugby Dean Richards and fellow player Nili Latu

In rugby terms his English stretched little past the obvious aims of being excited by the challenge and wanting to form part of the team, but his in-depth discourse with his native Press corps laid clear the responsibility he feels of representing Japan on the Premiership stage.

“He is a good addition to our environment and he is adapting well,” said Latu, a long-time opponent at club level during his own time at Tokyo’s NEC Green Rockets.

“Suntory are one of the top teams in Japan and they have won a lot of championships. In my eight years there I believe we only beat them once, and it shows the sort of club and environment in which he has been developed.

“He knows how to win, and you can immediately sense that drive in him. Having played against him many times I know he will put his body on the line for the team when he gets the chance, and it is exciting for me to see him over this way. It shows rugby in Japan is growing and that they are a force to be reckoned with in the future.

“The rugby here has less running. In Japan the game is way quicker, and for me I am really enjoying the difference in England. I am sure Hatake will feel the same.”

Newcastle Falcons' new signing Kensuke Hatakeyama

Richards was similarly enthusiastic about a player who has been on Tyneside for two weeks now, and who will finally make his Falcons debut during Friday night’s televised visit of Leicester Tigers.

“I haven’t brought Hatake here to sit on the bench,” said the director of rugby, who is without the services of injured Scotsman Jon Welsh for the remainder of the campaign.

“I want him to start games, because everything I have seen in him brings me to believe he will complement the way we want to play. He has some great qualities, and people will see that when he gets out there.

“He can be selected from now on. There is obviously a bedding-in period and a time he needs to understand what we are trying to do, but he will play a part against Leicester on Friday.”

Impressed by his low scrummaging style and the ferocious tackling which typifies Japan’s club game, Richards added: “It is a different style over there, but with our synthetic field that actually suits the way we try to play.

“The Premiership is slower and more physical than Japan, but the standard of guys like Hatake and Nili is tremendous, and they are more than capable of making the transition. The way he has adapted to our game in training already, in a very short space of time, has been brilliant.

“Because he has travelled so much with the Japanese team, that experience has enabled him not to have any fear or worries about being overseas and experiencing different rugby cultures. With that comes the ability to slot in and make new friends very easily, and when you look at the domestic rugby competition in Japan these days there are a number of real top quality players there.”

Newcastle Falcons' new signing Kensuke Hatakeyama

Taken aback by the sheer number of cameras pointing in his direction as the Falcons’ brand went global, Richards said: “Without a doubt this signing gives us more of an international profile, although that was never the primary motivation behind the move.

“We are a local club and everything about the emphasis on our future is about our academy, but at the same time we have a need for quality imports, which Hatake undoubtedly is.

“Nili having played in Japan has exposed us to a part of the world which is new to us, and it’s fantastic. It is growing the club’s name there, which is great, but as I have already stressed, the main thing is that Hatake is a top player who can improve our team.

“We had a specific need for a tight-head prop, he was available due to Japan’s season having just finished and he fits the bill. He answered our call, and it is great to have him here.”